Easter Eggs We All Missed In ‘Barbie’

By Tom Pearson 1 year ago

The Daughter Of Barbie's Creator Has A Cameo?

image source: Yahoo News
The creator of the Barbie doll, Ruth Handler, actually modeled Barbie on her own daughter. Her daughter and Barbie's namesake, Barbara, actually features in the new Barbie movie! This emotional look back at Barbie's roots left fans with tears in their eyes, as Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) is seen sitting on a park bench with an elderly lady, who smiles back when Barbie smiles at her.

Pink, Pink And No More Pink?

image source: House Beautiful 
When we think Barbie, we think pink, right? Pink car, pink dream house, pink outfits. Barbie and pink go hand in hand. So much so, that the new Barbie movie actually caused an international shortage of pink paint! The Barbie set designers used a specific shade of fluorescent pink to make everything in Barbie's world pop, meaning the rest of us were stuck without a splash of color for a few months.

Flat Feet!

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The famous Barbie foot scene, where Barbies foot effortlessly leaves her high heel and doesn't move an inch, was filmed in only 8 shots! Impressive! Margot Robbie described how her Stiletto was taped to the floor so it didn't move, and she made sure to have a pedicure that morning. There were discussions of using CGI for this scene, but Margot did a great job without.

Barbie and Dorothy

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The new Barbie movie shows Barbie travelling from her own bright pink world, to the real world. This may cause deja vu among viewers, as it harps back to a similar tale, except in reverse... The Wizard of Oz. Instead of Barbie travelling to the real world, Alice travels to an imaginary world to meet the wizard. At Barbie's dream cinema, we see posters advertising a showing of The Wizard of Oz.

I'm Just Ken

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Star of La La Land, Ryan Gosling, played Ken. And lets just say, he wasn't 'just Ken' to many of us. Gosling took on the role of Ken to highlight that we need to accept ourselves for who we are, even if we aren't the most popular or the main character in life. Gosling said he was inspired to play Ken after seeing his daughters discard their Ken dolls in favor of Barbie.

Into The Matrix

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Do you take the red pill or the blue pill Neo? The Matrix is a classic among movie fans, and its referenced in the Barbie movie. Barbie is given an ultimatum, the stiletto or the Birkenstock? The Stiletto represents Barbies dream world, the Birkenstock represents the harsh reality of real life. Who could be surprised that Barbie goes for the Stiletto?

Stay In Barbie's Dream House

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If you want to live out your own dream to become a Barbie doll, you can get one step closer by renting out Barbies very own dream house. The house seen in the movie is on Airbnb now and can be rented out. If you're someone who loves pink and loves it to the extreme, this could be the holiday home for you. Hopefully they have unwrapped all the plastic by now...

Barbie Boot Camp

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The cast were put through their pink paces in Barbie boot camp before filming began. Mattel, the makers of the Barbie doll, enrolled the cast in an immersion course to ensure they were in the Barbie frame of mind. The boot camp talked the cash through how Barbie thought, acted and the origin story of the first Barbie doll, from when she launched in the 50's right up to current day.

Barbie And Ken's Film Club

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In order to keep pop culture references so on point, the cast of Barbie would meet weekly in London in a private film club. The stars watched popular classics like The Truman Show, Rocky and Pride and Prejudice in order to slip subtle references into dialog between characters. No doubt the movie club would have been a pink affair, imagine the cast sharing pink candy and pink marshmallows!

Braveheart Barbie

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A Scottish bagpiper turned up, played the bagpipes and then read a scene from Scottish classic Braveheart. No, you haven't gone bonkers, Ryan Gosling actually sent a Scottish bagpiper to play the bagpipes for the cast when he couldn't make it to a meeting of the film club. I can't say the Barbie movie instantly reminds me of Scottish rain and Haggis, but whatever floats your boat Ryan..

The Original

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The devil is in the detail, and the details in Barbies outfit are exceptional. The first outfit featured in the film is actually a replica of the first ever outfit that Barbie wore. Margot Robbie can be seen sporting a black and white Zebra style all in one piece, accompanied by a high blonde ponytail and some 1950's style white rimmed sunglasses.

Earring Magic Ken

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Unofficially nicknamed 'Gay Ken', Earring Magic Ken is an icon in the LGBT+ world. After Earring magic ken was released, he was adopted by the gay community. Gay men in particular copied Kens style and put an earring in the same ear to signal their sexuality to others.Mattel, the creators of Barbie and Ken denied that Ken was gay, but it hasn't stopped the LGBT+ community yet!

So...Thirsty...

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That's right, there is no water in Barbie's world. Barbie goes to a plastic beach with solid plastic waves, drinks plastic water and showers under a faucet that has nothing coming out of it! Gross! On the other hand, all of Barbie's clothes and possessions are literally box fresh, and wrapped in plastic wrap. What would you prefer, clean clothes or brand new ones?

Bible Barbie?

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According to Barbie's director, Greta Gerwig, Barbie and Ken came to be in a similar style to Adam and Eve. They were immaculately placed into Barbie world and used as a template for the rest of the citizens. This may be what leads us to view Barbies world as somewhat heavenly and idealistic. Gerwig has impressed with her subtle nuance as a relatively young director.

Amy 'Barbie' Schumer?

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Amy Schumer as Barbie? Surely not? Margot Robbie almost seems infamous with Barbie now, but she wasn't actually meant to be the main character. Until as recently as 2017, Barbie was due to be played by actress and comedian Amy Schumer. However, due to scheduling conflicts, Schumer decided to pull out of the role. Alongside her Ken, Robbie took the role in her stride and has received commendation across the industry.

Arguments On Set

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Although the Barbie movie would never be described as gritty and tough like a raw cop drama or New York Gangster movie, there were some scenes that almost didn't make it to the big screen. The president of Mattel, the people who make the Barbie dolls, insisted on watching Margot Robbie perform some key scenes to make sure nothing off brand could spoil Barbies reputation.

Inspiration

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Based on Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the opening scene of the Barbie movie may have been familiar to Sci-Fi fans in the audience. The scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey shows apes smashing rocks on the ground. In the Barbie movie, the apes were replaced by little girls, and the rocks by Barbie heads! Definitely one for the adults in the audience!

Lazy Ken

image source: NBC NewsEverybody needs a Ken. But Ken needs a Job. That's right, we may have Doctor Barbie, Teacher Barbie, Scientist Barbie and every other Barbie you can think of, but Ken is unemployed! It seems that Ken has been living in Barbie's shadow for decades, and living off her coattails too! I suppose Ken would argue that his career is being best friend to Barbie?

Write this down

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In Barbie world, nobody writes anything down. The theory is that although every day is somewhat similar to the last, the Barbie dolls are living perfect lives. Why make a shopping list, write down chores or even pay paper bills when you are literally living the dream? With no need to put pen to paper, Barbie can focus on the good things in life, shopping, shopping, shopping.

An Outfit A Day

image source: House Beautiful
Barbie has an outfit for every occasion, but the wardrobe team were creating multiple brand new outfits for Margot Robbie to wear every single day. In order to make it appear that Barbie has tens of thousands of fashion choices, the set designers and wardrobe teams had to work around the clock. Ryan Gosling helped by coming up with the idea of Ken branded underwear!

I'm A Barbie Girl

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We've all heard it. The hit single Barbie Girl By Aqua has been stuck in everyone head at least once (I bet it will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day now). But without Margot Robbie, the song may have never made the film. Margot Robbie pleaded with the film's director, Greta Gerwig, for the catchy song to be included in the final film.

BAX

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As a homage to Los Angeles International Airport, or LAX for short, we catch a glimpse of the Barbie version, BAX. It seems that Barbie is such a substantial part of Barbie World (obviously) that she needs her own international airport to support her comings and goings. Who knows, maybe BAX isn't for the Barbies leaving Barbie world, maybe it's for us to join her there?

Barbie And The Magic Of Pegasus

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As a nod to the 2005 animated Barbie classic, Barbie And The Magic Of Pegasus, we can see a Pegasus statue erected near the beach. The statue boasts about Barbies past appearances on screen and is a thank you for all of the Barbie fans who have stuck with the franchise over almost 20 years. The statue can be seen during the iconic rollerblading on the beach scene.

Tanner The Puppy

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Tanner The Puppy went on sale in the mid 2000's but was recalled in 2007. In the movie we can see that Barbies puppy is back, and it reminds us that even in Barbie's perfect world, even she isn't too special to pick up her pups poop! Tanner doesn't really contribute to the plot of the movie, but it is yet another nice touch from the writers to help evoke them memories.

Barbie's Sister Skipper

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The Chelsea Doll Play set is niche among Barbie fans. Those more in the know will be aware that the set contains Barbie's younger sister, Skipper. In one of the scenes we see that next to Barbie's Dream house, Skipper can be seen merry as can be in her tree house. Barbie's younger sister Tutti does not appear on screen, but does have a restaurant named after her.

Tax Fraud

image source: Pasadena Star News
In 1974 the creator of Barbie and President of Mattel, Ruth Handler, retired from the role. 4 years later in 1978, Handler was found guilty of tax fraud! The Barbie movie pushes the boundaries and mocks Handler. The actress that played Handler, Rhea Perlman, talks about her financial mishaps with a sly smirk at the camera. A subtle touch, but very well played.

Tough Guy Ken

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An iconic scene from an iconic movie is the part in Grease when all the boys dance around their car. Do you think Ken could resist the temptation to perform a scene like this? During Kens speech about the patriarchy within the real world, he dances around his iconic car. His fur coat also harps back to the fur coat in the film Rocky. Do you think Ken packs a punch?

Don't be a Brat

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As Barbie finds her way in the real world, she runs into 4 familiar faces. The four teenagers she bumps into look suspiciously reminiscent of her main toy store rivals, the Bratz Dolls. When Barbie tried to speak with the girls, she is shot down as they tell her, ' we haven't played with Barbie's since we we like five'. Were you a Barbie or a Bratz kid?

The Shining

image source: People Magazine
The thought of death is what prompts Barbie to leave her little world. Barbie makes a mental connection with the real work (spooky) and it has lead some viewers to wonder if the Barbie in the movie is 'The Shining Barbie'. A Steven King classic novel and movie, The Shining has left fans creepy out for almost 30 years. Will Barbie be back at Halloween?

Barbie's Dream Plane, Car, Rocket, Everything!

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Barbie's Snowmobile, her Dream Camper, the Space Discovery with Rocket Ship, the Dreamplane and the Sisters Tandem Bike are all classic Barbie accessories. When Barbie and Ken travel to the real world, a menagerie of accessories and vehicles cross the screen. All of the extreme environments Ken and Barbie travel through are a great excuse to take a walk down memory lane.